Richard Nixon: Speeches, Writings, Documents

16.
“The first civil right of every American
is to be free from domestic violence”
(August 8, 1968)

Rhetorically, Nixon's speech accepting the Republicanpresidential nomination neatly cleaved the nation intwo. On the one hand were the “shouters.” They wereresponsible for “cities enveloped in smoke and flame,”“sirens in the night,” “Americans hating each other;fighting each other; killing each other at home.” Theother half were the victims of the first: “forgottenAmericans,” who “give steel to the backbone ofAmerica,” who “work,” “save,” “pay their taxes,” and“care.” They were “the real voice of America”—a sug-gestion that America's growing population of protest-ers weren't real Americans at all.

For a few moments, let us look at America, let us
listen to America. …

As we look at America, we see cities enveloped
in smoke and flame.

We hear sirens in the night.

We see Americans dying on distant battlefields
abroad.

We see Americans hating each other; fighting
each other; killing each other at home.

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